There are approximately 4,600 Palestinian political prisoners inside Israeli jails. Palestinians, living under occupation and oppression for nearly 64 years, have been targeted for mass imprisonment and detention by the Israeli occupation. Nearly every Palestinian family has been touched by political imprisonment – a father, mother, son, daughter, sister, brother, cousin, uncle, aunt – from the elderly to children.

Palestinian political prisoners are also political leaders. 27 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi, and the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Abdel-Aziz Dweik, who represents Hamas, are held in Israeli prisons. Ameer Makhoul, one of the Palestinian prisoners who is also a citizen of Israel, was general director of Ittijah – The Union of Arab Community-Based Associations and the Chairman of the Public Committee for the Defense of Political Freedom.

Writers, scholars, students and artists are also Palestinian political prisoners, including Palestinian scholar Dr. Ahmed Qatamesh, who has now been held without trial or charge for nearly a year, Dr. Yousef Abdul Haq, a professor at An-Najah University whose administrative detention was just extended for an additional six months, and Ola Haniyeh, a student leader at Bir Zeit University and a leading political prisoner solidarity activist abducted just before student elections and currently held under interrogation.

We demand the immediate release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. They have been targeted by an unfair and unequal legal system. Their imprisonment reflects Israel’s inherent system of injustice and racism. In addition, Israel must immediately halt its practices of:

Administrative detention.

Torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

Solitary confinement and isolation.

The use of military courts in the occupied Palestinian territory that illegally try civilians.

Undermining a fair trial by using secret evidence against the accused.

April 17th is International Palestinian Prisoners Day. As of 1 March 2012, there were 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 183 children. Just like Hana Shalabi and Khader Adnan, 320 prisoners are held–without charge or trial–under administrative detention. More details…

Nearly 5,000 Palestinian political prisoners are held in jails in Israel, including 170 children and 6 women. 310 prisoners are held – without charge or trial – under administrative detention. Palestinian prisoners include over 20 lawmakers and national leaders, like Ahmad Sa’adat, Marwan Barghouthi and Aziz Dweik.

**Free and open to the public, but space at the venue is limited. To ensure a seat, please RSVP to chicagompr@gmail.com as soon as possible.**

Since 1974, April 17 has been commemorated annually as Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. Currently there are more than 4500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons and detention centers; nearly 200 of these prisoners are children. Just like Hana Shalabi and Khader Adnan, 320 prisoners are held – without charge or trial – under administrative detention. Here in Chicago, the Chicago Movement for Palestinian Rights (CMPR) is calling on people of conscience to fast from sunrise to sunset on April 17 in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners. According to latest reports from prisoner rights group Addameer, 8 prisoners are currently on hunger strike. More details…

On Palestinian prisoners day, Tuesday 17th of April, the Palestinian prisoners movement will launch the Karamah (Dignity) hunger strike. The magnitude of the 1600 Palestinian prisoners embarking on the Karamah hunger strike must be met with a significant international response. This means mass mobilisations to question the impunity of the Israeli state and our own governments involvement. As the resistance of the prisoners escalates, our actions in turn must escalate. This demo is called for by ‘We Are All Hana Shalabi’. More details..

Bradford United 4 Palestine will be in Student Central at the University of Bradford, in Bradford City, UK, all day, Tuesday, April 17, with information about Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and the struggle of Palestinian prisoners.

The Initiative of International Solidarity for the Palestinian Prisoners will feature a talk by Shoukri Hroub of the Arab Palestinian Democratic Union (UDAP), as well as a brief overview of the intervention of the Mossad in some Latin American countries, including Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia and Guatemala.

This event is sponsored by UDAP-Tuscany, Collective April 25, BRISOP, and Cobas Confederation Pisa. More details…

Athens: Picket in Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners

There is a protest April 17, 2012 at the Israeli Embassy in Athens, Greece at 6:30 in solidarity with the Karama Hunger Strike and the Palestinian prisoners.

Dublin: Lunchtime Picket with Palestinian Prisoners

To mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day 2012, on Tuesday 17th April from 1-2pm the IPSC will be holding a symbolic lunchtime demonstration outside EU House, Molesworth Street (Dublin 2) to highlight the European Union’s ongoing facilitation of Israel’s apartheid policies and war crimes – including the imprisonment of over 4,400 political prisoners.

Following the demo, activists will move to Grafton Street and conduct an information stall between 2.30 and 5.30pm, distributing information about Palestinian political prisoners. More details…

Students for Justice in Palestine invites you to a rally from 6pm to 8pm onTuesday, April 17, on Palestine Prisoners’ Day. Meet outside Sydney Town Hall. Our lips will be silenced with tape, symbolising the purpose of ‘administrative detention’, which is to silence Palestinian resistance against Israeli apartheid. More details…

Montreal: Sumoud – An Evening of Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners

Please join us for a panel discussion and screening to highlight prisoner struggles, affirm our support and stand in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. Featuring speakers: Issam Al-Yamani, Serin Atiani, and a screening of a video produced by Addameer, featuring an interview with Suha Barghouti, wife of Palestinian writer, scholar and political prisoner Ahmed Qatamesh. More details…

Action: Write to the ICRC!

Write to the International Committee of the Red Cross to demand they take action for Palestinian prisoners

Send an email to the International Committee of the Red Cross, urging the committee to take action for Palestinian prisoners and fulfil its responsibilities to Palestinian prisoners held in occupation jails.

"Ameer Makhoul is a key human rights defender, well-known for his civil society activism on behalf of the Palestinian citizens of Israel. His arrest and continued detention smacks of pure harassment, designed to hinder his human rights work. If this is the case, we would regard him as a prisoner of conscience call for his immediate and unconditional release." Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.